Disposable container for waste cooking grease



Dec.. 30, 1969 M. D. WINSTON 3,487,439

DISPOSABLE CONTAINER FOR WASTE COOKING GREASE Filed June 17, 1968 INVENTOR. Warn/u .D W/wmn/ flrra 21/5/21 United States Patent 3,487,439 DISPOSABLE CONTAINER FOR WASTE COOKING GREASE Milton D. Winston, 1285 Clubhouse Drive, Pasadena, Calif. 91105 Filed June 17, 1968, Ser. No. 737,407 Int. Cl. A45c 11/00 US. Cl. 2061 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention A recurring problem for housewives is the storage and disposal of waste kitchen grease which is the residue of commonly used cooking oils, or of fatty foods such as bacon. There is a justifiable reluctance to pour waste grease into a sink or other household drain when it is in liquid form, due to the problem of clogged plumbing which occurs if grease solidfies while flowing through pipes. To avoid this problem, it is common to store waste grease in a metal can or glass jar which is disposed of with other garbage. Many housewives prefer to keep such a can or jar in the refrigerator to accelerate solidification of the waste grease, and to suppress the formation of disagreeable odors.

The technique of using a conventional empty can or jar for grease storage is unsatisfactory in several ways. Most housewives have had the experience of upsetting this type of container, and the spillage which results presents a time consuming and unpleasant cleaning task. The formation of undesirable odors is also a problem with conventional containers, although this can be minimized by capping the container or storing it in the refrigerator. Low-temperature storage also helps to solidify the waste grease. Unfortunately, the capped container is more awkward to use than an open-top receptacle, and cold storage uses up valuable refrigerator space which is typically already crowded with foodstuffs. There thus exists a need for a means of quick and convenient storage and disposal of waste grease which does not necessarily require refrigeration to avoid spillage problems or annoying odors.

I have found that a very convenient, economical and readily disposable receptacle for waste grease is provided by filling a can with a grease-absorbent material such as paper pulp. When the paper pulp is of the bleached type, or is otherwise chemically treated, a marked acceleration in the solidification of Waste grease is obtained. The pulp or other absorbent material can also be treated with a deodorizing chemical to suppress or eliminate any unpleasant smell from the stored residue.

The problem of spillage from an upset container is minimized by providing a downwardly sloping or funnelshaped wall across the top of the container. This wall is perforated to allow hot grease to flow freely into the top wall is imperforate to prevent spillage if the container is tipped or temporarily upset. This spillage problem is also diminished by a tendency of the pulp to solidify the grease rapidly so it will not flow through the inlet perforations even when the container is inverted.

Summary of the invention Briefly stated, the receptacle of this invention comprises a container having an imperforate bottom wall and a continuous imperforate side wall secured to and extending upwardly from the bottom wall, both the bottom and side walls being impervious to grease. A body of grease-absorbent material such as paper pulp is disposed within the container to receiver and hold waste grease. Preferably, the pulp is bleached or treated with caustic soda or a similar chemical agent to accelerate solidification of grease absorbed *by the pulp.

In one form, the body of grease-absorbent material is preformed with a central passage which extends downwardly from an upper surface of the body of material toward the bottom wall of the container. The upper surface of the body is concavely or conically formed to extend downwardly from the side wall toward the central open passage. In another form, the container further includes a top wall which is secured to and extends across and downwardly from the side wall toward the bottom wall, the top wall having a plurality of apertures therethrough. A snap-on lid is used in cases where complete closure of the receptacle is desired.

Brief description of the drawings The invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a grease receptacle formed according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation of the receptacle shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevation of an alternate form of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional elevation of a second alternate form of the invention.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring to FIGS. 1-3, a receptacle 10 according to the invention includes a container 11 having an imperforate bottom wall 12 and a continuous imperforate side wall 13. The side wall is conventionally formed as a cylinder secured to and extending upwardly from the bottom wall. Both the bottom and side walls are formed of a material which is impervious to grease. The side wall is preferably printed with an attractive decorative pattern (not shown) to provide an ornamental quality which does not detract from kitchen decor.

Preferably, the container has a capacity of about one quart, and a commercially available can known as a fiber 4.01 oil can is quite satisfactory for this purpose. This can has a fiber side wall with an inner liner and outer wrapper of polyethylene sheet material which i impervious to grease. The bottom wall is a conventional metal can bottom which is secured to the side wall by a conventional rolled joint. The container may also be formed of metal or metal foil, or of a plastic material which is impervious to grease and able to withstand the elevated temperature of hot grease.

Container 11 also includes a concavely dished metal top wall 15 having a downwardly turned peripheral lip 16 which secures the top wall to the upper end of the container side wall by the usual rolled seal. Due to its concave shape, the top wall extends downwardly from the upper end of the side wall toward bottom wall 12. That is, a central part 17 of the top wall is substantially below the level of the upper end of the top wall. A plurality of perforations or inlet holes 18 (preferably about inch in diameter) are formed through the top wall. The inlet holes are confined to the concavely sloping portion in the central part of the top wall, and a peripheral annular zone 19 of the top wall is left imperforate or solid to resist accidental spillage of stored grease as explained below.

A body of grease-absorbing material 21 is loosely packed within container 11 prior to the sealing of top wall 15 to side wall 13. Preferably, material 21 is bleached paper pulp as is readily available from any paper mill. Such pulp is treated with caustic soda with a pH of about 8.5 during the bleaching process, and contains a residue (typically about 1 /2% by weight) of sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate which accelerates solidification of grease. The bleached pulp also normally contains small amounts (in the range of 1 /2% by weight) of chlorine or chlorine derivatives (typically in the form of soduim hypochlorite) which suppress formation of undesirable odors in grease stored in the container. Paper pulp is an excellent absorber of grease, and receptacle 10 will hold a fluid volume of grease almost equal to the empty volume of container 11. A conventional snapon plastic lid or cap 22 (see FIG. 1) is engageable over the top of the container if complete sealing is desired.

In use, grease from a frying pan or other vessel is poured into container 11 through inlet holes 18 in top Wall 15. The perforated top wall serves as a screen which prevents solid food particles in the grease from entering the container, and any such particles are easily wiped off the top wall. The grease settles down through the container, and is absorbed by the paper pulp. Hardening of the grease is accelerated by the use of bleached paper plup, or a chemical such as sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate can be added to an unbleached pulp or an alternate absorbent material such as sawdust or crushed grains with husks. Similarly, the slight chlorine content of bleached paper pulp suppresses odor formation, and this same effect can be achieved by adding a small amount of chlorine or chlorine derivative (or other odor suppressor to any other selected grease-absoring material which does not already have the desired odor-suppressing qualities.

Once the grease has solidified in the recptacle, there is no danger of spillage even if the container is accidentally inverted. Furthermore, even before solidification of the grease has been achieved, a moderate tipping of the container will not cause spillage due to concavely dished shape of the top wall and the absence of inlet holes in the uppermost periphery of the top wall. Cap 22 may be used if desired to seal the recptacle until it is full and ready for disposal. The entire receptacle is economical to produce, and is intended to be thrown away when filled to a capacity.

FIG. 4 shows an alternate form of a receptacle 25 which includes a container 26 identical to container 11 as described above with the exception that no top wall is provided. A plastic snap-on cap 27 is positioned over the top of the container to seal the contents and prevent accidental spillage. A conventional toilet-tissue roll 28 with a hollow central core 29 is disposed within the container, and provides the grease-absorbent and greasesolidification properties.

A further alternative form of a receptacle 32 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 5. This receptacle includes a container 33 which is identical to container 11 descried above with the exception that it lacks a top wall. A plastic snap-on cap 34 is used to seal the container. A preformed body 35 of grease-absorbent material such as paper pulp is disposed within the container, and has a concave upper surface 36 and a hollow central core 37 extending from the upper surface toward the bottom of the container.

The concave upper surface of body 35 tends to guide or channel the liquid grease as it is poured into the container. The hollow central core through the body of the grease-absorbent material increases the surface area of absorbent material immediately in contact with freshly poured grease, and hence accelerates absorption of the grease by the material. Body 35 can be lightly pressed into the pre-formed shape shown in FIG. 5, or can be bonded in this shape by a light application of adhesive.

There has been described an economical and easily produced receptacle for waste kitchen grease. The receptacle permits convenient and tidy storage of such grease, and can be disposed of as a unit when it is full. Accelerated solidification of grease by the grease-absorbent material minimizes the danger of spillage if the container is upset, and the formation of odors is avoided. The invention is not limited to the specific forms shown in the drawings and described above, and various modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A disposable receptacle for storage and disposal of waste liquid grease, comprising a container having an imperforate bottom wall and a continuous imperforate side wall secured to and extending upwardly from the bottom wall, the bottom and side walls being impervious to grease, and a body of a grease-absorbent material disposed within and loosely filling the container to receive and hold Waste grease, the grease-absorbent material containing a chemical agent which accelerates the solidification of liquid grease.

2. The receptacle defined in claim 1 in which the grease-absorbent material is paper pulp.

3. The receptacle defined in claim 2 in which the body of paper pulp is formed to define a central open passage extending downwardly from an upper surface of the body toward the bottom wall of the container.

4. The receptacle defined in claim 3 in which the upper surface of the body of paper pulp is concavely formed to extend downwardly from the side wall toward the central open passage.

5. The receptacle defined in claim 2 and further comprising a cap engageable with the side Wall to seal the container.

6. The receptacle defined in claim 1 and further comprising a concavely formed top wall secured to and extending across and downwardly from the side wall toward the bottom wall, the top wall defining a plurality of apertures therethrough.

7. The receptacle defined in claim 6 in which the grease-absorbent material contains a first chemical agent which accelerates the solidification of liquid grease, and a second chemical agent which suppresses odors from the waste grease.

8. The receptacle defined in claim 6 in which the grease-absorbent material is bleached paper pulp.

9. A disposable receptacle for storage and disposal of waste liquid grease, comprising a container having an imperforate bottom wall, a continuous imperforate side wall secured to and extending upwardly from a bottom wall, the 'bottom and side walls being impervious to grease, a body of a grease-absorbent material disposed within and loosely filling the container to receive and hold waste grease, and a concave top wall secured to and extending across and downwardly from the side wall toward the bottom wall, the top wall defining a plurality of apertures therethrough, the container being free of internal divider walls whereby substantially the entire References Cited interior of the container is loosely filled with the greaseabsorbent materiaL UNITED STATES PATENTS 10. The receptacle defined in claim 9 in which the 1,423,28 9 1922 Helm 2 grease-absorbent material is bleached paper pulp, the con- 5 3,032,939 5 1962 Andersen 206 1 tamer having a capacity of about one quart, and further comprising a cap releasably engageable with the side wall to extend over the top wall for sealing the container. JAMES MARBERT Pnmary Exammgr 

